5 Amazing Places To Visit In Nairobi On A Weekend

Behold the magnificence of skyscrapers and towering structures with a charming but intimidating facade in the city, Kenya’s capital Nairobi is a place of thousand tales.

You cannot have enough of the beautiful city under the sun; there is too much to tell, see and feel literally while you are in Nairobi with the motive to explore.

Nairobi is one of those cities in Africa where you cannot have enough fun and adventure in just a day. It is a city where your weekend gests better with the right places to visit.

Also read:Five Of The Best Hotels In Nairobi You Must Visit In 2021

Here are the places to visit on a weekend in Nairobi.

Karura Forest

Karura Forest embodies Nairobi’s description as the ‘The Green City In The Sun’.

Situated within the vicinity of the city, 10 minutes drive from the city centre,  it brings forth a mesmerizing aura of fresh air, coolness and nature’s best gift to mankind. Karura Forest is the place you want to keep going back to due to its adorable nature and a friendly environment supporting outdoor activities.

Karura Forest has over the last few years angled itself as an outdoor workout hub, a trend that many now feel part of. Runners and joggers love this place which now has 15, 10 and 5 km trails where you can jog or take a nature walk.

You can also do bike riding, bird watching, horse riding and tennis. The entry fee for adults is $1 for adults while the kid’s entry fee is $0.50.

The main entrance to Karura Forest is on Limuru Road just after the Belgian Embassy. However, one can also use either the KFS main gate which is off Kiambu road and opposite CID Headquarters or the Old Kiambu Gate which is on Old Kiambu road. There are two wet seasons: April-June (long rains) and October-December (short rains). In between, days are sunny and dry except for July and August which is usually cool and cloudy.

Giraffe Centre

It is an exciting place to spend your weekend. It is located in Lang’ata, approximately 20 kilometres from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in order to protect the endangered giraffe, only found in the grasslands of East Africa.

The entry charges for adults is $2.5 while kids are charged $0.50 whereby the centre is open from 9 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week. Feeding and tours operate throughout this time. The giraffes wander freely through the lush gardens, and pay an occasional visit to the house itself, often pushing their heads through the French Windows to inspect the breakfast table.

Village Market

The Village Market is a large shopping, recreation and entertainment complex in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. It accommodates over 150 stores outlets covering in addition to recreation and entertainment facilities.

Located in Gigiri, it is an urban hub for recreation and entertainment. The Village Market hosts many activities annually including weekly art exhibitions in the mall’s exhibition halls. Ladies Day and Car Boot sale are among the activities and events held at the complex. Bowling is among the most popular game here for just $5

Remember there are several tours and travel companies within village martlet that make tour arrangements for various destinations.

Nairobi National Park

Seven kilometres from the city centre, you finally get to Nairobi National Park.  The park has a vast open grassland with plains and at the back of it, all are the city’s skyscrapers. Then there are the scattered acacia bushes which are phenomenally known for playing home to animals in the jungle.

Taking pride as ”the World’s only Wildlife Capital”, Nairobi National Park offers a dose of life in the wild in one of the most unexpected places. The park plays host to some of the big five members; lions, buffalos, leopards, the black rhino can be seen. Giraffes, hyenas and Zebras dot every corner of this expansive park at the heart of Kenya’s capital.

With its diversity, Nairobi National Park does not leave behind bird enthusiasts. There are more than 400 bird species in this expansive park. Both migratory and endemic birds can be seen in the park.

Karen Blixen Museum

The Karen Blixen Museum is awash with Kenya’s history given its important role during the pre-colonial era. It is a colonial house reminiscent of Baroness Karen Blixen stay with her husband before Kenya attained independence.

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The museum was put up in 1912 before the Blixen’s purchased it in 1917. It is here that they lived while farming coffee on their 4,500-acre farm. Years later, the couple would go separate ways and Karen ended up with the house until she returned to her mother country in Denmark in 1931.

After Kenya attained independence, the Karen Blixen Museum was bought by the Danish Government for Kenya as a gift for finally attaining independence. To date, it stands beautifully and has a rich history of Karen and her family.